Leeds University nominated for Art Award worth £40,000

Leeds University has been shortlisted for one of the UK’s most prestigious contemporary art awards, worth a staggering £40,000.

Commissioning innovative work

Working alongside artist Katrina Palmer and the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds University’s Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery is just one of four in the UK that has been nominated for the Contemporary Art Society Annual Award 2015.

The award, which is worth £40,000, will be given to a public art gallery or museum so that it can commission major new artworks for its permanent collection.

All artwork that will be commissioned will be from an artist that cannot yet be found in any British museum collections.

The partnership between Leeds University and the Henry Moore Institute hopes to ensure that Katrina Palmer’s artwork is commissioned.

Palmer – who specialises in creating stunning sculptures using words – has the chance to create an audio piece of artwork which will be the university’s very first non-object campus art.

“Work that can be enjoyed by everyone”

Layla Bloom, Curator of the gallery at the university, said that they are incredibly delighted to have been shortlisted for the awards this year.

She added that the recent sculpture, which was unveiled by Simon Fujiwara, also demonstrates the university’s commitment to showing public art on campus and “can be enjoyed by everyone at any time”.

Ms Bloom continued to say that to be able to commission work from an artist such as Katrina would not only enhance the university’s commitment to her work but also give them the opportunity to add more artwork by female artists.

By being able to commission work by their own graduates, Leeds University will raise their profile as being one of the leading art universities in the country.